I was shopping for cat food at the local Walmart with one of my friends when a woman pushed her shopping cart past us and under her breath hissed “Freaks!” to us.

I might understand this better if either of us were dressed out of the norm or had teased our hair into beehives, but we were average looking (yet incredibly chic) to say the least. We were simply shopping in the cat food aisle and talking about whether or not my friend wanted to get a goldfish. What’s so freaky about that? 

It’s times like this I am grateful (and I’m sure my friend was grateful too) that I am hearing impaired because I didn’t hear her. My friend, who is not hearing impaired, did hear her and pulled a face in my direction. When I asked her what was wrong, she waved me off and said she would tell me later.

If I had heard this passive aggressive, bullshit, side swiping woman when it happened, I would have had to ask her when she decided to give up on life and become so ordinary. That’s how common, narrow-minded people react to others they can’t, or won’t,  take the time to understand and accept unconditionally.

And who was she to call anyone names?

We are all different and we all have our own trials and tribulations to bear in this realm, but I have no problem sharing my space.

Even in the cat food aisle of Walmart, we can behave with decorum, grace and class.